ok, im looking at buying a 2003 focus svt 5 door 6 speed. it seems to be very solid, im ihave always worked on and upgraded my own cars, my last being a 94 integra ls 5 speed. anyway, it has 177k on it, no rust, one dent. completely stock beside window tint. its in great shape. any thing i need to look for, and is 3k a good price? ive read about the timing belt issues, but i have no way to know if the timing belt was ever done. any input appreciated! james

Is it this one? Looks decent, miles are definitely high so defiantly get the timing belt done because on these engines as soon as they go they are toast due to being interference engines. also the headlights on that car are not stock and you would probably want to upgrade to the hella mach headlights or standard halogen factory headlamps. Welcome to the forum though I live in Elyria by therehttp://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/3302648778.html

^^ yes thats it! where in elyria are you? maybe we could meet up sometime the the cars? what do i look for in the timing belt just to see if it looks fresh make sure it isnt peeling? big red 03 yes i heard the valve noise i was a little concerned but after reading about the motor on some forums im not worried about it, has good oil and appears to be well taken care of mechanically speaking.

They're fun cars. 3K is probably a fair price but you might talk him down a little. The Zetecs are pretty stout mechanically, my brothers stock '00 ZX3 has 220K miles and the car feels pretty tight still. I suspect the car you're looking at is not on the original timing belt anymore, it probably would have broken or stripped by now. In any case it might be time to put a new one on anyway just for peace of mind.

i found out today that the timing belt was replaced at 101k (he had a receipt) is it due for another being at 177k? ok, i thought the price was a little low to be honest, we agreed on 2900 tonight, and im content with that. its definitely fun to drive i cant believe how long 2nd winds out! theres a small swishing/ noise when i shift though, almost like a bov but its not, and the shift linkage is a bit noisey for my taste. but i have fallen in love with it already haha. thanks for all he help and any further advise is welcomed!

yeah I would say replace it again, I'm about to do mine and its at 77k right now. I would be down to meet up, I am in mansfield for school on weekdays and I come home sometimes on the weekends. should be home on brake most of december though. Nice purchase! if you dont like how the shift feel I would recomend removing the counterweight and doing a trans flush with royal purple, made my shifter feel alot better

i figured, i should probably drive her gentle until then. i might as well do a water pump and tensioner while im in there, is there a kit for it? ill pm you my info we can meet up and check out our rides sometime.

when you put the clutch down on our svts, the car keeps the throttle body open for a split second. it has a name, but i cant remember :) (youll sometimes even notice the rpms go up when you push in the clutch- when the motor is cold) its purpose is for comfortable street driving allowing you to take your time and granny-shift :) anyways, thats the "bov" sound you're hearing.

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